Revolutionary Girl Sakura!
by shanejayell
Summary: Sakura must use the sword of Dios to capture the Clow Cards running loose at Ohtori Academy!
1. Prologue

Revolutionary Girl Sakura: Prologue  
  
Sakura raced across the Tokyo rooftops, her sword held firmly in her hand. 'Where did she go?' she thought, looking around her wildly. She felt the presence before she actually saw her, and leapt up just in time to avoid the burst of flame.  
  
Golden fires danced all around the pretty brown haired girl, the young woman in Sakura's class who always smiled at people so very gently. There were no gentle smiles on her face now, instead her expression was nearly blank and eyes glazed over, entirely possessed by the card's power with a rose made of flame on her chest.  
  
"Please Rika, just surrender the card to me," Sakura gently tried to reason with her, "you're hurting people with it's powers."  
  
"No," Rika cried out, "I need it to protect us! I need it to protect him..."  
  
'Her mystery crush,' Sakura thought grimly. She shook her head, 'Never mind that now! I've got to stop this before the entire city's ablaze.' She racked her brain, watching the flames dance around her opponent, then her eyes widened, 'Of course!'  
  
A Clow Card appeared in Sakura's hand, and she cried out "Water Card! Empower my blade! Water!" threw it up smoothly up into the air, and then sliced across it with the Sword of Dios. There was the image of a fish-like boy hovering just above her, and as she swung her blade a tidal wave of water rushed towards where Rika stood.  
  
The flames roared up around the girl, the water rapidly changing to steam. "This is useless against my power," Rika cried.  
  
"Maybe so," Sakura cheerfully agreed with her, having used the steam as cover to get right in front of the startled Rika, "but it does make a great distraction." With a single smooth swing of her blade the fiery rose was destroyed.  
  
"No," Rika cried out in grief and pain.  
  
The fires rose up from Rika's body, hovering there confused in midair. "Fire Card! Return to your power confined! Fire!" she cried, and stabbed the flames with her sword. For a second it writhed at the end of her blade, then reformed as a golden card, dropping down into her hands.  
  
Rika swayed, then dropped bonelessly to the ground. Sakura rushed to check the younger girl over, feeling relieved that she was visibly all right. A few anxious moments later there was a slight fluttering under her eyelids, and then Rika opened those eyes to look up at her in confusion. "Where am I? What happened?" she asked weakly.  
  
'She doesn't remember a thing,' Sakura thought in relief, 'good.' With a slight smile Sakura helped her up to her feet, "It's a long story..."  
  
Sakura yawned mightily as she walked away from another day of classes. Running around at night could be tiring even for a teenager, it seemed. 'Glad I'm getting used to it,' she thought. 'But I wonder how long all my nights will be occupied chasing these Clow Cards?'  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto!" the school teacher cried.  
  
Sakura winced slightly as she turned back to look at the older teacher who was running up to her. She mildly answered, "Yes?"  
  
"Why are you still wearing that horrid boy's uniform?" the woman scowled.  
  
"Horrid? I've always thought that it looked pretty good on the boys myself," Sakura answered her with her usual cheer.  
  
"But you're a girl!" the woman growled.  
  
Sakura sighed, thinking about how she looked. A slim young woman wearing the black with rose trim boy's school did look odd, but she had chosen it for entirely practical reasons. Card capturing in skirts could be hazardous to one's modesty, something that she had learned the hard way. Still, she didn't think the teacher would want to hear about that.  
  
"It's an official school uniform, purchased from one of the officially recognized shops," Sakura said patiently, "and therefore it's within the rules." A cheerful smile, "So that's all right then?"  
  
The teacher groaned as the girl walked off. "It looks like she'll be making a fool of me for yet another term," the woman said softly.  
  
"Sakura is very unusual, isn't she," the male teacher standing nearby observed, "but considering her past, it's quite understandable."  
  
"How so?" the woman asked.  
  
"Both of Sakura's parents and her elder brother passed away when she was very young," he explained, "ever since she was a little girl she's been raised by her Aunt,"  
  
The woman looked off where Sakura had gone, her eyes wide in surprise, "I never knew."  
  
"She doesn't show it," he agreed, "a star athlete, cheerful, outgoing, one of our very best students." He shrugged, "I suppose that's why she's allowed her little eccentricities."  
  
Unaware that she was the topic of the teachers conversation Sakura leapt over a old crumbling wall, taking the alleys back home. Some of her friends had questioned the wisdom of that route, but Sakura wasn't afraid. It was as if all the supernatural things she had faced had left her unafraid of the more mundane dangers of the world.  
  
'Not that I wouldn't mind someone coming along with me,' Sakura thought. But such a person was elusive to the young woman, and she had other things to consider. Like where she was going to go to school after graduating here. And it was getting to be that time of year once again...  
  
It had been raining, the skies crying as tears trickled down Sakura's own face. It had hit her, finally, the clear and certain knowledge that her parents and brother were gone, never to come back. She walked along the river, mired in despair, until she stumbled upon the hole in the fence. Her spirits as low as they had ever been, she crawled through the hole, falling towards the river.  
  
Only to be stopped by a firm but gentle grip  
  
The woman pulled her up, her long brown hair flowing around them both. She pulled the soaked, sobbing Sakura close to her, and Sakura smelled the scent of roses and cherry blossoms carried in the strands of hair. Her fingers tangled in the necklace the woman wore, and somehow it came free, the tiny sword shining in Sakura's fingers. She smiled down at Sakura sadly, and Sakura felt all floaty inside as she softly murmured, "We will meet again." With that, she gently lay Sakura down under a sheltering tree and was gone...  
  
Each and every year on or near the same day since then she had received a postcard, all bearing that same unique scent. A simple image was on one side, and on the other printed the words, "I will meet you again." Sakura reached the house that she shared with her Aunt, checking for mail, and smiled as she drew out another of those familiar cards. She flipped it over to read the message and her eyes widened to see, "This year, finally, we will meet."  
  
"What?' Sakura blurted, "but... how?"  
  
Shaking herself, Sakura ran upstairs, the card in hand. She pulled open a desk drawer, and spilled the other cards out there on the desktop. All the messages were written in the same text, all still carrying the same scent, but other than that they carried no other information. Casually she flipped the cards over to look at the pictures, and froze.  
  
With shaking hands she swiftly assembled each of the scenic photos on the back of the cards, eventually forming the image of a school. "I've seen this before," Sakura murmured, "but where?" Digging through the piles of school catalogs the guidance councilor had given her, she swiftly found the match: the famous Ohtori Academy!  
  
"Does that mean I have to go there?" Sakura wondered. She examined the last card, noticing a nameplate hidden among white roses there, in a language that she recognized. "Latin," she grumbled under her breath, "it HAD to be Latin."  
  
Pulling down one of her least favorite textbooks, Sakura went to work. After a few false starts, and at least one translation that made little or no sense, Sakura thought that she had it. "I await you here," Sakura read softly, an odd look on her face.  
  
Dinner that night was quiet, as Sakura considered what she was going to say. "Aunt Shouko," Sakura smiled up at her, "would you mind if I continued my education at Ohtori Academy?"  
  
"What?" Aunt Shouko blinked at her in surprise.  
  
Sakura Kinomoto smiled slightly a few months later as she pulled her bags out from the taxi cab. Her first day of classes was a week away, but she wanted to visit Ohtori Academy early, to get a feel for the place first. As she strode through the front gates her eyes narrowed, an oddly familiar sensation running down her spike.  
  
'The Clow Cards,' Sakura thought, 'the last few I couldn't find in Tokyo. They're here, I can sense it! I guess coming here was the right thing to do after all.'  
  
Checking the paper with her room assignment on it she made her way to the East Hall, a run down Victorian era building that had seen better days. She went upstairs to room #21, and blinked in surprise to see two names on the door.  
  
Pushing it open, Sakura called out, "Hello?"  
  
"Hello," a pretty, dark haired young woman smiled back even as she finished putting together a massive home entertainment system, "you must be my roommate, Sakura." She bowed slightly, "My name is Tomoyo Daidouji."  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto," she bowed to her in return, wondering why Tomoyo's gentle smile was making Sakura blush.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. Chapter One

Revolutionary Girl Sakura: Part One  
  
She didn't know quite what had roused her from her sleep. A odd feeling, a chill in the night air maybe? Whatever it was, it called out to her. The brown haired girl reluctantly climbed out of her bed, the moonlight streaming in from the nearby window.  
  
'There goes another night's rest,' Sakura thought to herself wryly. 'Thank god a seventeen year old doesn't need too much sleep.'  
  
The tall, lanky girl pulled on her boy's uniform and then hurried out the door into the night, being careful not to disturb her sleeping roommate. She closed her eyes and trusted in her instincts, letting them guide her onward until she reached the haunted forest just behind the school.  
  
The green haired man dressed in Kendoist's garb stepped out from the shadows, and smiled at her darkly. She gazed up at him calmly, unsurprised. "So, little card captor," he said coldly, "you've come to capture me?"  
  
"Surrender the card," Sakura said to him calmly. "We don't need to fight..." she began, only to stop as he laughed at her.  
  
Saionji gestured grandly and another figure, a younger girl, stepped out bearing two roses in her hands. She carefully placed a green colored rose in his lapel, then she rather offhandedly put a white one in Sakura's pocket.  
  
"Who are you?" Sakura asked her softly.  
  
The girl gave her a jealous glare as she said, "Shinohara Wakaba." She walked over and placed a kiss on the taller boy's cheek, "For luck, Saionji."  
  
"I won't need it," Saionji said confidently.  
  
Sakura felt the presence there before she saw her, as soft lips gently brushed her own cheek. A very familiar voice said, "For luck, Sakura." She very slowly turned, only to see her pretty dark haired roommate, Daidouji Tomoyo standing there beside her. She smiled slightly at Sakura's questioning gaze as she cheerfully explained, "I wondered why my roommate was sneaking out at night all the time, so I decided to follow you."  
  
Sakura looked over at her in surprise then she shook her head, deciding to ask any other questions later on. She reached into her top and pulled out the gleaming sword necklace that she always wore. Sakura spoke softly, her voice growing louder as she continued:  
  
"Oh Sword of Dios, Power of magic, power of Right! Surrender the Blade, the sword of Light! Release!"  
  
Almost as soon as the shining blade had fully appeared in Sakura's hands, Saionji charged at her! He tried to catch her off guard, but she dodged his rush easily even as she smoothly parried his blow with her own sword.  
  
"You're good," Saionji admitted, "but I am your better!"  
  
The two of them twisted and turned, jumping and leaping about in the small clearing. Saionji kept attacking, Sakura replying until she finally saw the opening that she needed. Sakura lunged forward, her blade slicing across the rose on his chest, and it's green petals swirled gently away from them in the cool night's breeze.  
  
Wakaba cried out in alarm, then suddenly the shadows that enfolded Saionji burst free of his body and swept out towards where Sakura stood. "Shadow Card! Return to your power confined! Shadow!" she cried, stabbing with her sword at the moving shadows in midair. It writhed at the end of her blade, then reformed as a card, dropping into her hands.  
  
Saionji wavered, then dropped into Wakaba's arms. "What's going on?" he asked them dazedly. "How did I get here?"  
  
Sakura smiled, gently helping Wakaba pick him up. "Don't worry," she said to him softly, "everything's going to be all right."  
  
The next morning Sakura looked over at her cheerful roommate across the breakfast table. Tomoyo dished up Sakura's meal first, then her own before she sat down across from her, still smiling. They ate silently for awhile, then Sakura nearly jumped at Tomoyo spoke up.  
  
"So Sakura, where did you get that sword thing? And how long have you been catching those cards?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"I've had the sword for a pretty long time," Sakura said to her softly. She smiled fondly at the memory, "The woman said to me, 'We will meet again,' after she pulled me up and out of the river. She held me in her arms so very gently, and I smelled roses and cherry blossoms in her long, brown hair. My fingers got all tangled in her necklace, and somehow it came free. She smiled down at me sadly, and I just felt all floaty inside."  
  
"Wow," Tomoyo said quietly. "It's almost like a fairy tale."  
  
Sakura nodded. "About the same time each year I'd receive a postcard, with that very same scent. All of them said the same thing: 'I will meet you again.' About two years ago, the card had a set of directions, that I followed to a bookstore. The young man at the counter gave me a book, but when I went back to the same place later, he and the store were both gone."  
  
Sakura reached into her book bag beside her and placed a large tome on the table. It was finely detailed, and Tomoyo turned it over in her hands with an awed expression on her face. Something rattled inside, and with Sakura's nod, she opened it. The book was actually a box containing a large stack of cards, a pen that looked sort of sword-like, and a note.  
  
In a feminine script the note read, 'The cards freed from this book will bring great evil to the world unless they are captured and placed within. The sword is the key. Please capture them, so that you and I can meet once again.' Written below the letter was the chant that Sakura had used in battle. Tomoyo gently lifted the note out, raised it to her face and smelled cherry blossoms and roses.  
  
Tomoyo turned the book over again, and looked at the front and back patterns on the book. "There's something... missing, isn't there?" she asked, frowning.  
  
Sakura nodded, excited, "I noticed that too, Maybe something was supposed to help watch over the cards, too." Sakura shook her head, getting back to her story, "Anyway, last year, I received a post card saying 'This year, finally, we will meet.' After a bit of panic, I realized all the photos on the postcards fit together, forming an image of the main buildings of Ohtori academy. So, here I am."  
  
"Would you mind," Tomoyo said tentatively, "if I come along on your captures? How many cards are left, anyway?"  
  
"The cards try to hide inside of people, and the people sometimes use the card's powers to cause evil. I fight them in the duels, and when they lose, the card's power leaves them and then returns to their card forms," Sakura said softly. "There's only a few left, but I should warn you that the captures can be kind of dangerous."  
  
Tomoyo suddenly whipped out a video camera. "That's even better," she said happily, "it'll be more exiting to film!"  
  
Sakura sweatdropped.  
  
As the two girls walked to their morning classes, high above them in one of the windows of the observatory, someone watched them through a telescope. "So, how did it go last night, Kerberos?" she asked the other figure softly.  
  
"Just fine!" Kero answered, nodding. The tiny lion hovered in midair on his white wings, "She captured Shadow easily enough. I think she's getting better at the swordsmanship stuff, too."  
  
"That's good," the woman answered quietly. Her long brown hair swung around her as she added, "But I hope she won't need it."  
  
"I like her as well," a aristocratic voice from the doorway said to them quietly, "but to be protector of the cards, she must prove herself worthy." The white haired boy walked into the room casually, his blue robe swirled around him, and he tucked his wings in behind him. "Do you think she'll be ready for the Judgment?" Yue asked.  
  
Kaho Mitsuki looked fondly down at the two girls walking together far below them. "Oh, I do hope so," she said quietly. 


	3. Chapter Two

Revolutionary Girl Sakura Part Two  
  
"You actually know Arisugawa Juri, the captain of the fencing team?" Tomoyo asked, her eyes practically bugging out.  
  
The two young ladies were sitting down at a table grabbing a fast lunch at the cafeteria, and Juri had given them a respectful nod when she passed. The regal fencer was held both in awe and no little fear by the majority of teachers and students in Ohtori, so her gesture to Sakura was just a bit shocking to Tomoyo, to say the least.  
  
"Yeah," Sakura answered her in an absent minded way, "she fell under the control of the Desire Card. It got her into a situation involving a girl with a bad reputation, Takatsuki Shiori, that I helped get her out of."  
  
"Desire card?" Tomoyo echoed faintly.  
  
Sakura nodded slightly as she looked off in the distance, remembering, "It was my first real Card capture here at Ohtori, and I heard about it in such a strange way....  
  
Sakura had been in the middle of her math class, trying to follow the equations when she overheard the girl sitting next to her. She scowled fiercely and grumbled under her breath, "What is she doing with that girl?"  
  
Sakura looked over at her thoughtfully. "What girl?" she asked quietly.  
  
Nanami gave Sakura a disdainful look, but she couldn't resist passing on a bit of good gossip. "The fencing captain has taken up with a junior named Shiori," she said quietly. "Everyone says Juri's taken leave of her senses."  
  
Sakura's face went remarkably pale even as she said almost to herself, "Almost as if something's controlling her?"  
  
Nanami looked at her with a expression of surprise, then she nodded slowly. "You could be right," she whispered.  
  
After classes, Sakura made her way down the hallways to the fencing hall. She could almost feel her skin prickling, and knew that one of the cards was nearby. She opened up the main doors and stepped inside, only to gasp in surprise.  
  
Shiori was pressed up against the wall as Juri nibbled passionately at her neck. Her hands were moving feverishly against the front of Shiori's shirt, even as Shiori babbled huskily in pleasure. Sakura took it all in, and instantly jumped to the wrong conclusion.  
  
"Juri, let her go!" she cried out. Juri just ignored her, but Shiori glared at her. Sakura pulled out the sword and began to chant:  
  
"Oh Sword of Dios, Power of magic, power of Right! Surrender the Blade, the sword of Light! Release!"  
  
Sakura ran forward and forcefully pulled Juri away from Shiori's fevered grasp. Her rose in place, Sakura pointed her blade at Juri, "Surrender the card! We don't have to do this."  
  
Juri gazed at her blankly, her eyes clouded and deeply confused. Sakura felt the evil presence behind her just in time, ducking and rolling underneath the wild swing. Shiori smiled at Sakura, a wicked looking sword in hand as she looked at Sakura with eyes glazed with an unholy passion.  
  
"Juri is mine," Shiori said in throaty tones, "you can't have her." She raised and pointed her sword at Sakura, "And now you're mine too."  
  
Sakura cried out, even as she felt the power of the card slide over her. Shiori's form seemed to flicker, changing, and Sakura saw another girl, strangely familiar to her, with long dark hair, delicate features, and lively eyes. 'Is she what I most desire?' Sakura wondered. She shook her head, struggling against the power of the card. The image flickered then wavered. "You don't own me!" Sakura gasped, and Shiori wailed in pain as the spell was broken.  
  
Juri, her mind set free as well in the backlash, was also looking at Shiori with shock, and just a bit of disgust. Shiori saw that look and cried in pain and rage, "How dare you!"  
  
Shiori charged the deeply shaken Juri, holding her sword point first, only to be stopped by Sakura's swift blade. She deflected Shiori's sword upward, flicked her blade across Shiori's breast and Shiori's rose spun apart, the petals scattering to the ground.  
  
"Desire Card!" Sakura cried out, as a glowing, female figure slid from Shiori's form. "Return to your power confined! Desire!" Sakura felt a hand gently caress her cheek, then the card dropped gracefully in her hand.  
  
Shiori swayed, stumbled and finally fell to the ground. Curling into a ball, she sobbed out, "I love you, Juri. I'm so sorry." A visibly shaken Juri walked over to her, knelt down beside her and lightly patted her on the shoulder, a lost expression on her face.  
  
Juri smiled up at Sakura sadly as the girl walked over to her, "We've been friends nearly forever, but I didn't know..."  
  
Sakura knelt down beside them and softly said, "Let me help."  
  
Sakura was jerked back to the present by the odd look on Tomoyo's face. Tomoyo blushed a bit, looking over at her roommate with new eyes. "So you don't have a problem with..." she trailed off a bit uncomfortably.  
  
"Nah." Sakura answered with a smile. She looked thoughtfully at the slightly shorter, good looking girl who was sitting beside her, "You know, you are the type she usually likes. Would you like me to introduce you to her?"  
  
Tomoyo blushed brightly. "Ah, thanks but no thanks, she's not my type."  
  
"That's O.K.," Sakura said cheerfully, "she says that she's in love with somebody anyway. Won't tell me who, though." she finished with a frown.  
  
Tomoyo looked over at Sakura worriedly. "I wonder why?" Tomoyo whispered. She changed the subject, "Which are the cards left?"  
  
"The Dark and Light cards, the Mist, the Earth, and the Mirror cards are the only ones left. My research tells me that the Dark and Light are always together, so I count them as one. The others are going to be trouble, though." Sakura said seriously.  
  
"Why is that?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
Sakura shrugged and laughed, "This job's never that simple. So now I have to wait until I hear about another card."  
  
Just then a quiet voice said "Sakura?" from behind. They turned to find Juri walking towards them with a slight smile on her aristocratic face.  
  
"I don't think we've been introduced, as I would never forget a beautiful girl like yourself" Juri said smoothly, her eyes lighting up as she smiled down at Tomoyo.  
  
"Down, girl." Sakura said to her dryly. "This is my friend, Daidouji Tomoyo. Tomoyo, meet Arisugawa Juri."  
  
Juri looked mildly startled by Tomoyo's name, but recovered quickly. "It's nice to meet you." she said, smiling charmingly. She turned to Sakura, saying "One of my fencers has a problem I think might be right up you're alley."  
  
"What'd I tell you?" Sakura said to Tomoyo. Tomoyo sweatdropped, while Juri asked what was going on. 


	4. Chapter Three

Part three  
  
A sweatdropping Sakura and smiling Juri arrived at the gym, Tomoyo following close behind them and filming away madly. "What a shot," Tomoyo happily sighed to herself as the two dramatically passed through the double doors.  
  
"Does she always do that?" Juri asked Sakura quietly.  
  
"Yep." Sakura sighed softly. "So whom am I supposed to meet?" she asked.  
  
Juri looked around her, then she waved to a handsome young man nearby. Both Sakura and Tomoyo stared as he walked towards him: he was short, blue haired, and very, very cute. All in all, he cut a fine figure in his fencing uniform. And, according to Juri, anybody who tried to get close to him lately had a serious accident.  
  
"Sakura, Tomoyo, I'd like you to meet my friend Kaoru Miki." Juri said with a smile.  
  
Miki extended his hand and Sakura took it in her own, nearly freezing as she felt that familiar tingle running up and down her spine. There was a Clow Card here, all right, but it didn't feel like it was hiding in him. Someone around him, maybe? Sakura thought.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Miki." Sakura said, forcing a smile.  
  
The sound of someone loudly clearing their throat cut across the conversation, and they turned around to see a angry looking blue haired girl standing there right beside them. She looked like Miki himself, if you ignored the scowl.  
  
"And of course," Juri said sardonically, "his shadow, oops, I mean twin sister, Kozue."  
  
As soon as she saw Kozue, Sakura knew that she was the Card bearer. And something in Kozue's dark eyes let Sakura know that she knew Sakura was a enemy. She could feel Kozue drawing on her power, when Sakura said to her simply, "Later. Not here, not now."  
  
Kozue looked around a moment, then she nodded to Sakura in agreement. Sakura quickly made her excuses to Miki, and told him to get to a place he could be alone. She told him she would perform a ritual to help solve his problem.  
  
'Which is perfectly true, as far as it goes,' Sakura thought. "Juri, is there someplace more private we can do this?" she asked, and sweatdropped as Kozue gave her a death-glare.  
  
"There's a fencing hall free," Juri said. She, Sakura, and Kozue walked in the room first, with Tomoyo lagging behind them so she could videotape the group. As soon as they entered, Kozue walked over and picked up one of the swords, smiling at Sakura evily.  
  
Sakura offered her the chance to surrender, and Kozue flatly refused. "Sakura, should I do the roses?" Juri offered. Sakura nodded, and Juri walked over to put a blue rose in Kozue's pocket, bending over to whisper something in her ear that made the blue haired girl blush scarlet. A white rose went into Sakura's pocket, and Juri leaned close to whisper "To the winner the spoils. She is kind of cute..."  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes at that idea, making Juri laugh. Pulling out the sword charm, Sakura said the familiar words:  
  
"Oh Sword of Dios, Power of magic, power of Right! Surrender the Blade, the sword of Light! Release!"  
  
The sword shining brightly in her hands, Sakura looked over at Kozue. An odd, green mist swirled all around her, but other than that nothing unusual seemed to be happening yet. Sakura charged Kozue, hoping to gain the advantage of surprise, but as soon as she entered the green mist, her skin felt like it was on fire!  
  
"Oww! What the...whoops!" Sakura yelped, barely dodging Kozue's first strike. The girl was relentless, pursuing the half blind, pain wracked girl around the room until Sakura was finally able to get clear of the mists.  
  
"A nice trick," Sakura managed to choke out, "but stink isn't going to win this one!" Kozue gasped in rage, and Sakura grinned.  
  
"Always try to make an opponent mad," Juri had once told her during one of their practice matches, "mad people fight stupid."  
  
A Clow Card appeared in Sakura's hand, and she cried "Windy Card! Empower my blade! Windy!" threw it up in the air, and then sliced across it with the Sword of Dios. Around her and the blade, a woman formed of air appeared, and with one sweep of the blade, the mist was blown away in a powerful gust of wind.  
  
Kozue gasped in shock as her precious mist disappeared, then cried out in horror as Sakura suddenly appeared in her face. "Gotcha," she said quietly, and in one smooth gesture cut Kozue's rose to ribbons. The green mist swirled away, condensing into a human form, then calmly approached and surrendered to Sakura's blade. "Mist Card! Return to your power confined! Mist!" The card formed, and gently dropped into Sakura's hand.  
  
Kozue staggered, a look of pain and deep loss on her face, then like a rag-doll she totally collapsed. Sakura quickly walked over, checking her pulse. "She's fine," Sakura said softly. "Let's get her back to her room."  
  
"You're more generous than I would be," Juri said quietly as she picked up one end, Sakura the other. Sakura only shrugged a bit in reply.  
  
Sakura knocked on Miki's door, and helped him carry Kozue inside. Tomoyo watched for a moment, then drew Juri aside. "I wanted to ask something," Tomoyo said nervously.  
  
"What's that?" Juri asked in friendly tones.  
  
"Are you in love with Sakura?" Tomoyo asked her boldly.  
  
Juri looked down at her blankly, then began to, quite uncharacteristically giggle quietly. "I'm really sorry," the chuckling Juri said, "I'm not laughing at you." She wipes at her teary eyes, smiling. "After what happened with Shiori, I've totally sworn off younger women." she explained. "Besides, I have a girlfriend."  
  
"I'm sorry," Tomoyo echoed, smiling up at her as well. Juri gave her an inquiring look, Tomoyo flushing under that gaze. "I... like her," Tomoyo admitted, "even if she doesn't know it." She looked thoughtful. "So you have an older lover?"  
  
Juri grinned saucily. "Experience is the best teacher," she quipped. "Lets go grab Sakura, go get some food and celebrate her victory, OK?" Juri asked, smiling.  
  
Sensing a change in topic, Tomoyo let it go. 


	5. Chapter Four

Part Four  
  
"Sakura," Tomoyo asked as they sat together in their room after classes, "have all the cards hidden in duelists?"  
  
"Pretty much," Sakura said with a nod. "That's why I've asked Juri to keep an eye on the fencing and kendo clubs in case something does come up." Sakura sweatdropped a bit, as Tomoyo rewound the video of the capture of the Earth card and watched it again. "Do you have to watch that? It's so embarrassing!"  
  
Tomoyo smiled over at the blushing Sakura and teasingly said, "Come on, you have to admit it was pretty funny to see."  
  
She started the tape, and poor Tsuwabuki's image came up. The Earth card had made him almost unmovable, something Sakura had discovered by quite painfully bouncing off of him a few times. Still, once she figured out the card turned him into a statue leaving the rose mostly unprotected, the capture went easily enough.  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knocking at the door. Sakura got up, letting Tomoyo shut off the VCR, and went over to answer it. Saionji, Wakaba standing at his side, nodded to her respectfully.  
  
"There's something... rather odd going on over at the kendo club," Saionji explained to them a few moments later, sitting a bit uncomfortably at Sakura's desk. "I've spoken to Juri about it, and she sent me over to see you."  
  
"What's going on?" Tomoyo asked him. For a moment, Saionji looked at her disdainfully, but quickly stopped when he saw Sakura's hard glare.  
  
"Sorry," Saionji said quietly, smiling a bit self-mockingly, "an old habit. A longtime competitor has suddenly began winning all of his matches, even when up against opponents who previously had easily defeated him. The people he faces say that it's uncanny, it's like they're seeing him in more than one place at the same time."  
  
Sakura nodded to herself thoughtfully. "Sounds like one of the cards, all right." She asked, " So who is this kendoist?"  
  
"Kiryuu Touga," Saionji answered. Not long after, he excused himself, and he and the smiling Wakaba left together.  
  
"We'd better call Juri," Tomoyo said to Sakura thoughtfully, "she's also a member of the student council, and can probably get us both back stage. We need to stop him before any more of the matches, right?"  
  
Sakura nodded to Tomoyo firmly in agreement. "It's not fair to the other competetors, if we don't," she agreed.  
  
A short while later, Juri was leading them up the back ways of the kendo hall. "So who's your mystery girlfriend?" Sakura asked her again.  
  
Juri rolled her eyes at that. "You just won't let it go, huh?" she said, smiling. "All right, you can meet her at the parent/teacher day next week. She'll be here then."  
  
"So she's the mother of one of the students here at Ohtori? You rogue!" Tomoyo said with a impish little smile.  
  
Juri made a face at that before saying, "Touga's warming up in here, it should be private enough for you to make the capture." They knocked on the door, and faintly heard a voice yell out an answer from inside.  
  
"Did that sound like 'Go away' to you?" Tomoyo asked with a smile.  
  
Ignoring that they pushed the door open and went in. A handsome young man moved gracefully across the floor, his long red hair swinging around him. His sword cut through the air smoothly, almost like poetry in motion.  
  
"Hey, Touga!" Juri yelled to him, "get your skinny butt over here!" He came to a jarring stop, then turned and glared daggers at Juri. The glare turned to a falsely charming smile when he saw Sakura and Tomoyo with her.  
  
"Ladies!" he said with a lounge lizard's smile, walking over and shaking each of their hands.  
  
Sakura shivered almost as soon as he touched her, 'Oh, yes,' she thought, 'definitely a card hiding here.' She smiled bleakly. 'And is he ever a creep,' she thought. "I'd like to challenge you to a duel," Sakura said to him simply.  
  
Touga pretended to look shocked. "A beautiful woman like you? I wouldn't want to risk harming such a fair lady," he said.  
  
Sakura drew out the sword, and it's soft glow lit the room, showing a strangely sinister glow around Touga's form. She spoke quietly:  
  
"Oh Sword of Dios, Power of magic, power of Right! Surrender the Blade, the sword of Light! Release!"  
  
She points the blade at him. "Are you a coward, Touga? Is what everyone says about you true? Or is it you're afraid of a fair fight?" Sakura said in biting tones.  
  
"Never let it be said I'd turn away from a challenge," Touga scowled at her. Juri plucked a red rose from a nearby vase, putting the still wet flower in his coat pocket. She then produced a dry white rose and put it in Sakura's pocket. Touga calmed down a bit, and smiled coldly at Sakura as he said,. "See my power, then."  
  
He seemed to shimmer slightly, then there were two versions of Touga facing her. Then three. Four. Five, and finally six Tougas surrounded Sakura in a full circle. All wore the red roses, and all had that very same sneer on their faces. Together, the voice echoing around her, Touga said "Catch me if you can, little girl."  
  
Sakura turned, wheeling about, trying to see which was the real one. Suddenly, she cried out as a stinging cut burned across her cheek, and she barely brought her blade around to protect her rose. The Tougas circled her, taunting, occasionally striking out to try to mark Sakura with his blade once again. Finally she stopped, and went dead still, closing her eyes.  
  
Sakura closed her eyes, concentrating. 'It's Mirror, it has to be,' she thought. "How to I find the real one, though?" She focused, thinking about Mirror, and when she had seen Touga practicing. 'Why is that still in my head?' Her eyes suddenly shot open in shock. She scanned the Touga's, and suddenly smiled at them. The Tougas charged at her, but Sakura unerringly found the real Touga, and in a second, his rose lay in pieces on the dojo floor.  
  
"How?" Touga choked out.  
  
"You are right handed," Sakura said to him quietly, "but you're twins were all lefties." She stepped back and raised her sword, as glowing shards of mirrored glass swirled out from Touga's form. "Mirror card! Return to your power confined! Mirror!" Sakura cried, and the card materialized and then floated into Sakura's hand.  
  
She stepped back, the card in hand, and looked down at Touga coldly. "Good luck in winning your duels now, cheater." With that, Sakura led Tomoyo and Juri away. 


	6. Chapter Five

Part Five  
  
"Today's parent/teacher day!" Sakura said to Tomoyo happily. "Not only do we not have to do school work, but we also find out today who Juri's been dating!"  
  
Tomoyo sweatdrops a bit at that. "It's really been bugging you, hasn't it Sakura?" she said, with a smile. "I do hope we see my mom today, but she's not sure if she can get away from her business meetings," she sighed.  
  
"Your parents are divorced, aren't they?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo nodded. "That must have been hard," Sakura finished sadly.  
  
"She's been much happier since he was gone, honestly," Tomoyo answered her with a cheerful smile. "I'm just glad that she's started dating again. She even moved her corporate headquarters to be nearer to the school."  
  
"Wow," Sakura said admiringly. She looked over at the wall clock and jumped to her feet! "Oh, the acting Chairwoman's speech! We'll be late!"  
  
"You just made it," Juri commented with a impish smile as the two panting and wheezing figures stumbled to a stop right beside her. "Don't worry, I saved you two some seats," Juri said, fighting back a laugh.  
  
Sakura sat down between Juri and poor Tomoyo who was trying to catch her breath, when out of the blue Sakura suddenly felt a spark. And again, a flash of incredible, yet oddly familiar power. "Juri, Tomoyo," Sakura said breathlessly, "there's a Card nearby!" Tomoyo instantly took her ever- present video camera and slowly played it across the crowd.  
  
"Where?" Tomoyo asked her eagerly. A hand touched Sakura's shoulder, and she turned to see Juri smiling down at her.  
  
"Trouble?" Juri asked her mildly.  
  
"We're not entirely sure," Tomoyo answered quietly. Suddenly, there was a crackle from the loudspeaker, and a figure stepped up to the microphone.  
  
The vice-Principal adjusted his tie nervously before clearing his throat, "Welcome everybody. Today is the annual parent/teacher day here at Ohtori academy. But before the parents start arriving the Acting Chairwoman would like to say a few words," Two figures walked up to the platform, and Sakura felt her heart catch in her throat.  
  
The young man was handsome, his long white hair framing elven features, and strangely, he cradled what appeared to be a stuffed animal toy in his arms. But it was the woman that caught Sakura's eye: long brown hair framed a beautiful, intelligent face, and when the breeze blew just right, Sakura caught the scent of roses and cherry blossoms.  
  
"It's her," Sakura whispered softly, "the woman who saved me as a child. But how?"  
  
The Chairwoman adjusted the microphone just a bit higher, even as the young man behind her suspiciously scanned the audience. 'Is he some kind of bodyguard?' Sakura found herself wondering, 'But he seems so delicate!'  
  
"Students of Ohtori Academy, I'm Kaho Mitsuki, and I'm very honored to be standing here today. My year of filling in for the ill Kanae Ohtori will soon be over, as I'm happy to announce she will be soon returning to her former post." She smiled at the cheering, looking out over the crowd, and Sakura almost felt her heart stop when her eyes meet hers. "I am very proud of you all," she said simply, keeping her gaze locked with Sakura's eyes. With that, the speech was over, and she and her companion were quickly gone.  
  
"Sakura, are you all right?" Tomoyo asked the dazed girl. Sakura shook her head and smiled weakly, and Tomoyo felt her heart go out to her.  
  
"I'm fine," Sakura said with a frown. She spoke slowly "She's the one who rescued me when I was a child. And I'm sure I feel a Card around her. But how?"  
  
Suddenly, an announcement blares loudly over the speakers all around the school: "Would Sakura Kinomoto and Company please report to the Chairman's observatory? Sakura and Company, to the observatory, please."  
  
"I guess this is it," Sakura said softly.  
  
"I'm going along with you," Tomoyo quietly said before Sakura could say anymore. Sakura opened up her mouth to try to argue with her, but saw an iron resolve in her eyes. That, and something... more, some deeper emotion.  
  
Juri spoke up, "I'm going too."  
  
Sakura groaned and rubbed a large, throbbing "x" on her forehead. "I have no idea how bad or crazy it's going to get this time..." she started off again.  
  
"If you don't let us go with you," Tomoyo said to her quite cheerfully, "we'll just follow along behind you anyway."  
  
Sakura sighed and sweatdropped. "I guess you're right." she said, and smiled at her two friends. As they walked along Tomoyo plucked a white rose at the base of the tower, and then quite ceremoniously put it in Sakura's breast pocket. She then leaned in and kissed Sakura lightly on the lips, then once again, more lingeringly.  
  
"For luck, Sakura," Tomoyo said to softly. Sakura lingered there a moment too, lost in her eyes. They separated, and Sakura glared up at the smirking Juri. They made their way up the long flight of stairs, finally coming to a stop just outside the observatory doors.  
  
Sakura drew out the sword pendant, cuped it in her hands, and spoke her voice echoing a bit in the arched hallways:  
  
"Oh Sword of Dios, Power of magic, power of Right! Surrender the Blade, the sword of Light! Release!"  
  
Her blade in hand, Sakura opened up the door and lead her friends inside. Suddenly, a figure swept down from above them, his blade swinging. Sakura pushed Tomoyo back into Juri's arms as she parried the blow, and he retreated up above. "Face the test of Yue!" the white haired boy with wings cried out, and swept down at her again. Sakura casually stepped aside, grabbed at a wing, and used his own momentum to slam him hard against a wall.  
  
"Passed," she said as she sliced away his rose. A voice howled in rage and Sakura spun around to see a winged lion racing towards her. He clawed at her frantically, but she rolled while shielding her own rose, and managed to slash across the rose in his harness as well. The two opponents drew back a bit, taking a moment to recoverm then they knelt down before her.  
  
"I, Yue, acknowledge you Sakura." the white haired, winged boy said formally.  
  
"And I, Kerberos, acknowledge you Sakura," the winged lion said in a deeper, rumbling voice.  
  
"But now," a woman's voice said, "you must make the final judgment." Kaho Mitsuki smiled slightly as she emerged from the shadows, carrying another sword, a gray rose on her breast. "A judgment on me," she finished.  
  
"I don't understand," Sakura said with a frown.  
  
"I used you, Sakura," Kaho Mitsuki said to her quietly, "with half truths and lies. I made you collect the cards, putting you and others," she looked at the two standing there behind Sakura, "in grave danger. Will you judge me and my deeds, Sakura?"  
  
Sakura suddenly raced towards Ms Mitsuki and then swung her sword at her smoothly. A single cut, and the rose she wore lay in pieces on the floor, but Ms Mitsuki herself was untouched. "You saved my life," Sakura said to her softly, "I wanted to die that day, and I would have without you. I was drowning in my despair over my family's death, and you gave me a reason to live."  
  
Ms Mitsuki swayed a bit in front of her, then she smiled. "The final test is one of mercy, Sakura. You passed it." Both darkness and light exploded out from her body, forming into twin figures standing before Sakura. Sakura raised the sword to bind them and saw a staff in her hands instead.  
  
"What happened to..." Sakura blinked.  
  
Ms. Mitsuki smiled at her gently, "You don't need to force them with a sword anymore, you only need to ask, mistress of the cards."  
  
Sakura smiled back at her, then she raised her up new staff and said "Dark Card! Light Card! Return to your power confined! Dark and Light!" The two cards formed, and then softly dropped down into her hands.  
  
A little while later as the parents began to arrive, they talked together outside. "Where did Yue and Kerberos go?" Sakura asked Kaho.  
  
"Their purpose is to guard the protector of the cards. For an age that was me but now it's your turn. I believe they are taking on some new forms to prepare for their service to you." Sakura tried to protest the word 'service', but Ms Mitsuki shushed her and pointed, as two beautiful young women dressed in boy's and girl's uniforms walked out of the tower together, one pink haired, one purple haired. "Kerberos," she said, nodding to the pink haired girl, "Yue," nodding to the purple haired one. "Will you take on new names to fit your new bodies?"  
  
The pink haired girl smiled and said "I'm Utena, and this," she said, looking down at the former Yue, "is Anthy."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Sakura said angrily, startling the two of them. "Sorry," she said to the pair, then turned to Juri and said "Juri, you said you'd tell us who you're girlfriend was today!" Ms. Mitsuki and Tomoyo sweatdropped, and Juri smiled.  
  
"Here she comes now," Juri said to them mildly and pointed to a disturbance that was moving through the crowd.  
  
Five female bodyguards firmly cleared the way for a older beautiful woman with short, sandy hair. "Tomoyo!" she cried happily, picking her up in a hug.  
  
As soon as she let her down, Tomoyo gently pulled Sakura forward to introduce her, "Sakura, this is my mother, Sonomi."  
  
Sakura bowed nervously. "Very pleased to meet you," she stuttered out.  
  
"And you. Are you Juri's friend?" Sonomi asked.  
  
Sakura looked at her blankly a moment. Then Juri stepped forward, and Sonomi pulled Juri into her arms for a very thorough kiss.  
  
"Juri told me about it yesterday," Tomoyo said to the dumbfounded Sakura. She smiled at the stunned girl, then slowly pulled her into a kiss.  
  
"What was that for?" Sakura asked rather breathlessly.  
  
"Preview for later," Tomoyo answered simply.  
  
A fiercely blushing Sakura slowly smiled.  
  
The End 


End file.
